The New England Patriots placed the franchise tag on left guard Joe Thuney on Monday, according to the player’s agent.
The estimated value of the tag for an offensive lineman in 2020 is $14.8 million.
Thuney, 27, has started all 74 of New England’s games (including the postseason) since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2016.
He posted a 97 percent pass-block win rate in 2019 according to Next Gen Stats, second-best among all NFL guards behind Baltimore Ravens veteran Marshal Yanda (98 percent).
Based on his age, durability and high performance, the two-time Super Bowl champion was expected to generate significant interest in free agency.